Technical Communication Quarterly Jan 1996

Supra-Textual Design: The Visual Rhetoric of Whole Documents

Charles Kostelnick

Abstract

Supra-textual design encompasses the global visual language of a document and operates in three modes: textual, spatial, and graphic. The rhetoric of supra-textual design includes structural functions that provide global organization and cohesion and stylistic functions that affect credibility, tone, emphasis, interest, and usability. Supra-textual rhetoric extends to other documents through conventional codes and through sets and series. Because writers may not control the end product of supra-textual design, intention may also be a rhetorical factor.

Journal
Technical Communication Quarterly
Published
1996-01-01
DOI
10.1207/s15427625tcq0501_2
Open Access
Closed
Topics
multimodality

Citation Context

Cited by in this index (17)

  1. Tham (2026)
    Evolving Information Design: Insights from Senior Experts in Technical and Prof…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. Tham (2025)
    Design and Deliberation: Reimagining Rhetorical Arrangement in Technical Commun…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  3. Burnett et al. (2025)
    A Conceptual Approach to Research Poster Design: Process, Audience, and Organization
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. Burnett et al. (2025)
    Birthing Genre: Conventions of Rhetorical Situation and Accessibility of Inform…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  5. DeVasto (2024)
    Toward Rhetorically Infused Methods for Relational Network Modeling: The Visual…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
Show all 17 →
  1. Campbell (2023)
    Identifying Digital Rhetoric in the Telemedicine User Interface
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  2. Pennell (2023)
    Designing Interculturally: Adopting a Social Justice Research Framework for “Se…
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  3. King et al. (2018)
    Artifactual dimensions of visual rhetoric: what a content analysis of 114 peer-…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. King et al. (2018)
    Artifactual Dimensions of Visual Rhetoric: What a Content Analysis of 114 Peer-…
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  5. Passera (2018)
    Flowcharts, Swimlanes, and Timelines
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  6. Zhang (2016)
    Illustrating Beauty and Utility
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  7. Willerton (2005)
    Visual Metonymy and Synecdoche: Rhetoric for Stage-Setting Images
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  8. MacKiewicz (2004)
    What Technical Writing Students Should Know about Typeface Personality
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  9. Kumpf (2000)
    Visual metadiscourse: Designing the considerate text
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  10. WICKLIFF (1998)
    The Daguerreotype and the Rhetoric of Photographic Technology
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  11. VanHoosier-Carey (1997)
    Rhetoric by design: Using web development projects in the technical communicati…
    Computers and Composition
  12. Price (1997)
    Electronic outlining as a tool for making writing visible
    Computers and Composition

Cites in this index (4)

  1. Moore et al. (1993)
    Using Gestalt theory to teach document design and graphics
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  2. BARTON et al. (1993)
    Modes of Power in Technical and Professional Visuals
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
  3. Dragga (1992)
    Evaluating pictorial illustrations
    Technical Communication Quarterly
  4. TEBEAUX (1991)
    Visual Language
    Journal of Business and Technical Communication
Also cites 8 works outside this index ↓
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  2. 10.2307/357383
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  3. 10.2307/1511524
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  7. Twyman, Michael. "A Schema for the Study of Graphic Language (Tutorial Paper)." Processing of Visible w e . V…
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CrossRef global citation count: 30 View in citation network →

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